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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25767157">kiss it better?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeekies/pseuds/jeekies'>jeekies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Beach, Confessions, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, M/M, Sunburn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:01:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,070</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25767157</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeekies/pseuds/jeekies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Standing from where he sits next to Dejun, Yangyang says, "For what it's worth, Kunhang likes you back. You can at least try and not be a coward."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>164</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>kiss it better?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/aftermidnights/gifts">aftermidnights</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>— this helped a lot with getting rid of my writer's block. I hope you enjoy it even though it's really short! </p><p>Thank you again, jona for beta reading, ur the best ♡</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dejun really doesn't understand why and how his friends managed to drag him to the beach. All he knows is that one moment Yangyang looked at him with puppy eyes and the next he's in the car with Kun driving in the front on the way to the nearest beach they could find. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ten slips out of the car the moment they stop on the lot next to the sand, an overjoyed Yangyang following behind him. Dejun longs to follow them but he takes a look at Kun and sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll help with the things, don't worry," Dejun says as he hops off Kun's truck. Kun closes the engine and throws him a grateful smile from the mirror. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He unlocks the back of the pick-up truck and gets the umbrella, the blanket and a bag off. Kun grabs the cooler and they both set off to follow Ten and Yangyang on the beach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is that Kunhang?" Dejun squints, looking at the blurry figure in the water who just got splattered on by a wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm guessing yes," Kun grunts from behind him, still hauling the cooler with one arm. Dejun looks at him over his shoulder, Kun gestures at a set up umbrella a few feet ahead of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Underneath said umbrella is Sicheng and Yukhei, the former lathering sunblock on the latter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Call Kunhang and make him put on sunblock here too," He hears Sicheng tell Yukhei as he sets up their umbrella next to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did Yangyang and Ten already put on sunblock?" Kun asks when he sits himself under the shade the umbrella gives them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," Dejun answers him. It's obvious that he doesn't intend to call them over. He turns his back to rustle through the bag he graciously carried over from the car. He takes out a bottle of sunscreen and squeezes a generous amount on his fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Watching Ten, Yangyang, and Kunhang in the distance, he applies sunscreen on his exposed skin, over the exposed skin from the white tank top and the red plain beach shorts he wore. He watches as Yangyang and Kunhang grab onto Ten's legs and arms respectively, laughing a little when they swing him and drop him into the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang and Kunhang run away while Ten struggles in the water, heading towards where he, Kun, Sicheng and Yukhei sat. Next to him Kun opens the cooler, taking out two bottles of water, holding both of them in his hands waiting for the two buffoons to come closer. Kun hands them the water bottles when they arrive, looking as well for reprieve under the shade the umbrella gives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kunhang, sunblock." Sicheng tells Kunhang offhandedly, not really bothering to look at him as he hands him the sunblock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yangyang, you too." Dejun tells Yangyang, gesturing at their bag where their bottle of sunblock is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>From his peripheral, Dejun can see Kun stand, heading towards the space where Ten lies sprawled on the shore where the sand meets the sea, </span>
  <em>
    <span>another </span>
  </em>
  <span>bottle of sunblock in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun doesn't understand how they managed to drag him here, really. He was supposed to follow a little bit after the sun sets, to join their campfire and little camp on the beach without actually joining them in the daylight activities where the sun and the heat is involved. Dejun's not one for the sun. It's hot on his skin and everything gets overly warm around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yangyang reasoned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you can come with us and then you can just stay in the shade of the umbrella drinking coconut or whatever it is with Sicheng.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun was pretty sure that he would not, in fact, be able to stay under the shade drinking coconuts or whatever with Sicheng, because his friends are </span>
  <em>
    <span>demons. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And he's proven right when Yangyang finishes applying sunblock on his face, and grabs his arms, Kunhang grabbing onto his legs with Yukhei supporting his torso. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kicks a bit, flailing a lot uselessly, as they pull him toward the water. "Kun! Kun!" Dejun screams, still flailing again the hold of his friends. "Fuck help! Yangyang I'm gonna kill you!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kun doesn't look at him though, at least from what he can see (which isn't a lot, considering the predicament he's in), too busy wrestling with Ten in the sand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't! Don't! I'll buy you guys food!" Dejun tries to haggle. They're closer to the water now, he can hear it. Dejun's not afraid of the water, nor does he really care if they throw him in it honestly. They swing him a little, a lot like what they did with Ten before, and they throw him in the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later, when Dejun emerges from the water onto the shore, already done with his revenge, he sits on the damn sand, clothes and pink hair dripping wet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the water, there's Kunhang playing with Yukhei and Sicheng. Dejun watches as Yukhei overpowers Sicheng and pulls him into the water with him. He watches as Kunhang pushes his wet hair back, laughing as Yukhei latches on to Sicheng in the water. Kunhang's hair is getting long, Dejun notes, and he's not even sure if it's possible—but did Kunhang's smile get even </span>
  <em>
    <span>prettier? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, you can </span>
  <em>
    <span>try </span>
  </em>
  <span>not to look like a lovesick fool whenever you're looking at him." Dejun startles when he hears the words. He whips his head to the side, and sees Yangyang, damp from the water, sitting next to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What—what are you talking about?" He stutters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You—" Yangyang drawls out slowly, finger pointing at Dejun. "—looking at him." His fingers follow the slow pace of his words, moving slowly to point at Kunhang, still in the water, laughing at whatever Yukhei is doing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shut up," Dejun hisses. He grabs Yangyang's arm pinning it down on the sand. "Can you be any more </span>
  <em>
    <span>obvious?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"I mean, I can scream it if you want me to." Yangyang grins, like the cheeky bastard that he is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You will </span>
  <em>
    <span>not." </span>
  </em>
  <span>Dejun says, making sure to not phrase it as a challenge because Yangyang </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>if he voices it as such. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing from where he sits next to Dejun, Yangyang says, "For what it's worth, Kunhang likes you back. You can </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least</span>
  </em>
  <span> try and not be a coward." </span>
</p><p>---</p><p>"I can't believe you forgot to put sunblock on your face—of all places." </p><p>
  <span>"In my defense," Kunhang defends himself, "I was having fun and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>forgot." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh-huh." Dejun mimics his tone, applying aloe vera to his cheeks. "You liked the sun a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> much." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There's little distance between them, with his finger cradling Kunhang's jaw to make sure he doesn't move when he applies the aloe vera, so it isn't a surprise that Dejun can see the little details on Kunhang's face from up close. His pretty brown eyes that sparkles, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupidly</span>
  </em>
  <span> perfect nose slope, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>dimples</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Dejun's breath catches in his throat when Kunhang so much as </span>
  <em>
    <span>shifts </span>
  </em>
  <span>closer to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aloe vera will make it better." Dejun leans to the side to scoop more on his fingers to apply to Kunhang's burns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know what would </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> make it better though?" Kunhang says when he returns to his position of playing nurse, tone shifting into something akin to mischievousness. Dejun knows that tone—Kunhang uses it when he's up to no good. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, Dejun humours him. Dejun has always been weak to Kunhang. "What would?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's a mistake. Not really though, it depends on how you choose to see it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kunhang's eyes light up, teeth showing when he smiles a big bright smile, before letting those poorly thought of words through his mouth. Dejun, on the other hand, leaned closer, making sure that he was putting the aloe vera on the right place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A kiss would make it a thousand times better." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Dejun was in any better state of mind he would react differently, really. But he is not and so what happens is that he sputters. He recoils back a little, far enough to make sure that Kunhang's face isn't merely centimeters away from his, because he might do something stupid like </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually doing it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>At the back of Dejun's mind, there's a though that he looks stupid right now. Eyes blown wide into saucers, leaning his weight back, away from a boy with pretty eyes and a pretty smile. Dejun, of course, knows that Kunhang is kidding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>must </span>
  </em>
  <span>be, right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then Yangyang's earlier words get to him, and he falls into the bait. Hook-line and sinker. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kunhang likes you back. You can </span>
  </em>
  <span>at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>try and not be a coward. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun doesn't like it when Yangyang's right. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, when he gets over his initial shock, he sits straight up, kneeling still in front of Kunhang who's seated on the cooler looking guilty. He holds Kunhang's face in his hands, making sure to not touch or brush his fingers over any areas where there are sunburns. He looks him in the eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he kisses him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A little press on the lips that lasted for no more than three seconds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yangyang's words ring through his mind; </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You can </span>
  </em>
  <span>at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>try and not be a coward. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun's no coward, not with this nor anything else. So he waits for Kunhang to say something. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anything. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>In the end, Dejun brushes off sand from his knees and takes a walk on the beach, fuming at himself for even </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Kunhang meant it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A little later, when the night has set in and the more responsible of his friends set up the tents and start the campfire, Dejun finds himself seated on a rock not far away from where they set up camp, but far enough to give him a semblance of privacy as he wallows in guilt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The waves splash against the shore, lulling him into a sense of peace only nature ever gives him. The night is quiet and bright, the moon contrasting against the dark of the night. He can hear Yangyang's boisterous laughter from where he sits and he smiles a little to himself. Dejun knows Kun is cooking food over the portable grill Yukhei bought with him because he can smell it even from where he sits, far away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He huddles into his hoodie more, caught off guard by a cold breeze passing by. Maybe he should go back now, the campfire promises heat and the comfort of his friends near. Dejun can't think of any reason </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> he shouldn't go back other than facing Kunhang. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He's going to have to do it eventually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he's about to stand, a blanket drapes itself across his shoulders, a familiar figure situating itself next to him on the rock. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dread starts to fester in his stomach, but before he can make a run for it, Kunhang's hand hold onto his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't run away," Kunhang starts. He's gazing at Dejun with those eyes again, and not for the first time today he finds himself looking back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry—" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Look, I'm sorry—" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both say together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughter bubbles up from Dejun's chest, and he reluctantly lets a small chuckle escape him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier." Dejun says, shifting away to look at the waves crashing on the shore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Kunhang exclaims, a little incredulous. "Made me </span>
  <em>
    <span>uncomfortable?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun turns his head to look at him, eyebrows furrowing in a way he only does when he's confused or frustrated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's a misunderstanding here—wait a minute." Kunhang waves his arms, expressing himself in his body movement. "I like you. And that kiss did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> make me uncomfortable—like </span>
  <em>
    <span>at all." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Oh,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Dejun says, a little dumbfounded. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yeah. </span>
  </em>
  <span>So like, if anything, I'm sorry if I made </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>uncomfortable." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You didn't make me uncomfortable," Dejun interjects quickly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"I</span>
  </em>
  <span> kissed you. I don't think I'm the one that's supposed to be uncomfortable in this situation." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun continues his ramblings, "I like you too, by the way, if you didn't get that already." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Oh."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kunhang says plainly. He shifts a little in his seat. He bites his lower lip, and Dejun can see it again—the look Kunhang gets when he's going to do something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know, you never really did kiss me properly to make the burns feel better." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dejun really doesn't understand how and why his friends managed to drag him to the beach, but if anything, he's glad they did. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading! please leave a comment or a kudos if you liked it !</p></blockquote></div></div>
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